On the Ground Report: Federal Impacts in North Dakota
By: Prairie Action North Dakota Institute
September 2, 2025
What’s Happening?
Donald Trump has vowed to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines, claiming that:
The U.S. is the “only country” that uses mail-in voting.
States are just “agents” of the federal government and must do what the president orders.
Both claims are false.
Election security in the U.S. is decentralized, safeguarded by states and local jurisdictions with multiple layers of protection and dozens of countries allow forms of mail-in voting
Why It Matters
Free, fair, and accessible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy democracy.
Mail-in voting is trusted, secure, and used nationwide by older adults, military members, rural and tribal voters, voters with disabilities, and more.
Attacks on mail-in ballots and voting machines spread dangerous misinformation, undermining trust and weakening democracy.
How It Impacts North Dakota
36 out of 53 ND counties are designated Vote-by-Mail counties.
That’s 67% of counties in the state that vote by mail in ND.
In these counties, every eligible voter is automatically sent an absentee ballot application — but there’s only one polling place required to be open on Election Day.
That means changes to mail-in voting hit ND voters especially hard: rural communities, Native voters, seniors, and voters with disabilities are most at risk.
“Eliminating mail-in voting would be devastating for North Dakotans. 36 of the 53 counties in our state rely on voting by mail. Voting by mail isn’t just a convenience. For many rural farm families, elderly residents who can’t drive, people with disabilities, shift workers, and busy working parents, voting by mail is the only practical way to vote. In a state where weather, geography, and distance already make voting hard, taking away that option doesn’t strengthen our elections; it would only disengage more voters.”
Amy Jacobson, Prairie Action North Dakota Institute
